Doing the Works of Abraham
by Joseph Warren Grammer
by Joseph Warren Grammer
Our great patriarchal father, Abraham, is the preeminent example of our Judo-Christian heritage, next to Jesus Christ, Himself. When some of the Jews were contending with Jesus, they claimed Abraham as their father. To this Jesus replied, “...If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:39.) And when He was speaking to the Latter-day Saints about receiving the same blessings and inheritance as Abraham, the Lord said, “Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved. (D&C 132:32.) So, the question is, “What are the works of Abraham”?
Before we get to the real meat of this subject, let’s review a little of chapter one of Abraham. In the first chapter he tells of the wickedness of his father and those in his land as they offered human sacrifices to false Gods. At one time, even Abraham was about to be sacrificed.
15. And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands;
16. And his voice was unto me: Abraham, Abraham, behold, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee, and to take thee away from thy father's house, and from all thy kinsfolk, into a strange land which thou knowest not of;... (Abr. 1:15-16.)
In the second chapter, Abraham tell that the Lord appeared unto him (v. 6), that the Lord’s name is Jehovah and that Abraham was know by Him from the beginning (v. 8), that Abraham shall become a great nation, he shall be blessed above measure, from his seed bear the ministry and Priesthood unto all nations (v. 9), as many as will receive the gospel shall be called after the name of Abraham and counted as his seed, and they shall rise up and bless the name of Abraham (v. 10). The Lord goes on to say that he will bless those that bless Abraham and curse them that curse him, that the Priesthood shall continue through the literal seed of Abraham, and that it shall be a blessing to all the families of the earth unto salvation and life eternal (v. 11).
After Abraham received these promises from the Lord, the Lord withdraws from speaking to him, and withdraws “his face” from Abraham . And then Abraham continued: “I said in my heart: Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee;...” (v. 12) “Thou didst send thine angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to hearken unto thy voice, therefore let thy servant rise up and depart in peace” (v. 13).
There is some confusion in the mind of many when reading verse 15 and 16 of chapter one. The impression is that the angel of his presence, mentioned in verse 15, is the same one speaking to Abraham in verse 16. Remember, Abraham was first filled with the vision of the Almighty, who apparently sent the angel of His presence to save Abraham. Look again at verse 13 of the second chapter where Abraham said, “Thou didst send thine angel to deliver me...”
From the forgoing, we find that Abraham was filled with the “vision of the Almighty,” the Lord “appeared” unto him, and the Lord’s “face” was before Abraham. What did Abraham do that the Lord blessed him so, and even appeared before him? To get that answer we need to go back to the first four verses of chapter one.
Closely examine the first four verses of that Chapter with the spirit of discernment, and the spirit of personal revelation. In them you just might find the keys to the gospel of salvation.
1. In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence;
2. And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
3. It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
4. I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed. (Abraham 1:1-4.)
As I usually do, I started to italicize the important parts of the scripture just presented. However, having found that I had highlighted all except a few words, I decided to just leave it alone for ease of reading. Even though I just presented these verses as a unit, I will now present them with commentary.() To help us study and understand these verses a little better, I will present a verse, or part of a verse, followed by a commentary to that verse, or part of verse.
Abraham 1:1-4 with Commentary
ABRAHAM, Verse 1:
1: In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence;
COMMENTARY, Verse 1:
1: Chaldea was the same as Babylon in ancient times. Abraham wanted to get out of Babylon. “Flee out of the midst of Babylon” (Jer. 51:6); “Go ye out from Babylon” (D&C 133:5, 7); “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins” (Rev. 18:4). To get out of Babylon is not a new commandment. Abraham was not fleeing for his life, for he stayed around Chaldea for a while as a close reading of his words clearly points out. Abraham was following a command to get out of Babylon.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(a):
2(a): And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(a):
2(a): Abraham sought for the blessings of the fathers because he knew there was greater happiness, peace and rest in being righteous. The “rest” of the Lord is being in His presence (D&C 84:23-24).
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(b):
2(b): I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same;
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(b):
2(b): He also sought to be ordained to the blessings of the fathers, and administer the same to others. The blessings of the fathers is the blessing of entering into the Church of the Firstborn, which is the fulness of the gospel. Now, who will bring the righteous into the Church of the Firstborn? It will be the 144,000 high priests (D&C 77:11). So Abraham wanted to do what the 144,000 high priests will be eventually doing.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(c):
2(c): having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(c):
2(c): Not only was Abraham a follower of righteousness, but he wanted to be even a “greater” follower of righteousness through sanctification. Not only did He seek to possess great knowledge, as very few in this telestial world do, but he sought to possess even a “greater” and more personal knowledge of God, as does those who enter into the rest of the Lord, behold His face, and receive the fulness of the Father’s Glory.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(d):
2(d): and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(d):
2(d): Abraham sought to receive the same promise that Adam and Noah received, that of being the father of many nations. He also desired the title of “Prince of Peace,” which Melchizedek and Jesus the Christ received (Isa. 9:6; Alma 13:18; JST Gen. 14:33).
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(e):
2(e): and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(e):
2(e): Abraham sought to personally receive instruction from God and His messengers; that is, the further light and knowledge promised by the father. And he sought to obey all of God laws.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(f):
2(f): I became a rightful heir, a High Priest,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(f):
2(f): Abraham became a rightful heir to all that the Father has (D&C 84:38-39), and a High Priest unto the Most High God.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(g):
2(g): holding the right belonging to the fathers.
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(g):
2(g): Abraham received the right which belonged to the fathers, that of the right of the Church of the First Born, to enter into the rest of the Lord, and administer the ordinances thereof.
ABRAHAM, Verse 3(a):
3(a): It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time,
COMMENTARY, Verse 3(a):
3(a): Abraham realized where his line of Priesthood authority originated. It originated in the counsel in heaven (Abr. 3:22-24). He also new his Priesthood lineage back through the line of righteous men, back to Adam.
ABRAHAM, Verse 3(b):
3(b): even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
COMMENTARY, Verse 3(b):
3(b): Abraham received the right of the Firstborn. The First Born is a title; it is a godly title, and Abraham received the right to that title by way of his righteousness. He could, therefore, speak for the Father in the absence of the Father. For the serious and knowing student, this part of verse three has other doctrinal implication which is not the purpose of this study.
ABRAHAM, Verse 4:
4: I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.
COMMENTARY, Verse 4:
4: Abraham proved himself worthy of the right of the Firstborn and was personally appointed to that order of the Priesthood by God. He also received the promised blessing of the fathers concerning the continuation of seed, and he entered into that covenant and obeyed the law pertaining to that blessing.
Points of Review
Let’s now review some of the important points of that which we have just studied. As we do, we will be able to learn what the works — at least some of the works — of Abraham were; those works which placed him in a position to be filled with the vision of the Almighty, have the Lord appear to him and behold His face. The points under consideration are outlined as followed.
1. Abraham fled Babylon under command of he Lord, desiring not to partake of her sins.
2. He sought to inter into the rest of the Lord and partake of His fulness, which is seeing the face of the Lord, and inter into the presence of the Father.
3. He sought to do the work of the fathers before him, that is to bring the righteous to the Church of the First Born — to do the same work as the 144,000 High Priests will be doing shortly.
4. He not only desired great knowledge, but he sought to possess the greatest knowledge, that of a more personal and intimate knowing of God
5. He not only desired great righteousness by keeping a few commandments, but he also sought greater righteousness my way of faithfully keeping covenants, thereby becoming sanctified — that of being clean enough to enter into God’s rest and behold His face.
6. He sought to receive the same promises and blessings as did Adam and Noah, that of being the father of many nations.
7. He sought to be endowed with the title of “Prince of Peace,” as Melchizedek and Jesus the Christ received.
8. He sought further light and knowledge, not only from the Spirt and from angels, but from the Lord Himself.
9. He keep all the commandments of God.
10. He became a rightful heir to all that the Father has.
11. He became a High Priest unto the Most High God.
12. He received the right which belonged to the fathers, that of the right as a member of the Church of the First Born.
13. He administer the ordinances pertaining to the Church of the Firstborn, as the 144.000 will do.
14. He received the godly title of “Firstborn,” being personally appointed to that order of the Priesthood by God.
15. He enter into the rest of the Lord by entering into His presence.
16. He knew from where his Priesthood authority originated — in the counsel in heaven — and he also new his Priesthood lineage back to Adam.
17. And Abraham also received the blessing of the fathers concerning the continuation of seed, and entered into that covenant and obey that law.
In Closing
These are the works of Abraham. The works of Abraham are not that of only Celestial Plural Marriage, as some would suppose by their reading D&C 132. The verse in question in that section reads: “Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved.” (v. 32.) Celestial Plural Marriage is only one of the many laws of God, and it is only one of the works of Abraham. We are commanded to do the “works” of Abraham, not the “work” of Abraham. If we keep only one of the works, and not all of them, little is realized.
Some become lopsided in their enthusiasm to practice the principle of plural marriage without keeping the other laws. And not only are they most likely practicing plural marriage without doing the other works of Abraham, but they are also, as modern polygamist have generally demonstrated, practicing it inappropriately and without divine priesthood appointment.
The Pharisees claimed to be of Abraham, but Jesus said to them, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:39.) Jesus condemned the Pharisees as not being of Abraham because of their wickedness, saying that they “are of [their] father the devil.” The Savior was not speaking of plural wives at this time, he was referring to being righteous, as Abraham was righteous in all of his desires and works.
There is a another key to why Abraham received such blessings, and it is found in verse twelve of the second chapter of Abraham. Here Abraham said in his heart to the Lord, “Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee....” (Abr. 2:12.)
All that Abraham desired and sought after was done “earnestly.” He was earnest about what he was concerned about. Some synonyms for earnestly are: seriously, soberly, sincerely, determined, intent, eager, and resolute. Now, how serious and eager, determined and resolute is the reader in obtaining those same blessings?
Before we get to the real meat of this subject, let’s review a little of chapter one of Abraham. In the first chapter he tells of the wickedness of his father and those in his land as they offered human sacrifices to false Gods. At one time, even Abraham was about to be sacrificed.
15. And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands;
16. And his voice was unto me: Abraham, Abraham, behold, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee, and to take thee away from thy father's house, and from all thy kinsfolk, into a strange land which thou knowest not of;... (Abr. 1:15-16.)
In the second chapter, Abraham tell that the Lord appeared unto him (v. 6), that the Lord’s name is Jehovah and that Abraham was know by Him from the beginning (v. 8), that Abraham shall become a great nation, he shall be blessed above measure, from his seed bear the ministry and Priesthood unto all nations (v. 9), as many as will receive the gospel shall be called after the name of Abraham and counted as his seed, and they shall rise up and bless the name of Abraham (v. 10). The Lord goes on to say that he will bless those that bless Abraham and curse them that curse him, that the Priesthood shall continue through the literal seed of Abraham, and that it shall be a blessing to all the families of the earth unto salvation and life eternal (v. 11).
After Abraham received these promises from the Lord, the Lord withdraws from speaking to him, and withdraws “his face” from Abraham . And then Abraham continued: “I said in my heart: Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee;...” (v. 12) “Thou didst send thine angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to hearken unto thy voice, therefore let thy servant rise up and depart in peace” (v. 13).
There is some confusion in the mind of many when reading verse 15 and 16 of chapter one. The impression is that the angel of his presence, mentioned in verse 15, is the same one speaking to Abraham in verse 16. Remember, Abraham was first filled with the vision of the Almighty, who apparently sent the angel of His presence to save Abraham. Look again at verse 13 of the second chapter where Abraham said, “Thou didst send thine angel to deliver me...”
From the forgoing, we find that Abraham was filled with the “vision of the Almighty,” the Lord “appeared” unto him, and the Lord’s “face” was before Abraham. What did Abraham do that the Lord blessed him so, and even appeared before him? To get that answer we need to go back to the first four verses of chapter one.
Closely examine the first four verses of that Chapter with the spirit of discernment, and the spirit of personal revelation. In them you just might find the keys to the gospel of salvation.
1. In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence;
2. And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
3. It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
4. I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed. (Abraham 1:1-4.)
As I usually do, I started to italicize the important parts of the scripture just presented. However, having found that I had highlighted all except a few words, I decided to just leave it alone for ease of reading. Even though I just presented these verses as a unit, I will now present them with commentary.() To help us study and understand these verses a little better, I will present a verse, or part of a verse, followed by a commentary to that verse, or part of verse.
Abraham 1:1-4 with Commentary
ABRAHAM, Verse 1:
1: In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence;
COMMENTARY, Verse 1:
1: Chaldea was the same as Babylon in ancient times. Abraham wanted to get out of Babylon. “Flee out of the midst of Babylon” (Jer. 51:6); “Go ye out from Babylon” (D&C 133:5, 7); “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins” (Rev. 18:4). To get out of Babylon is not a new commandment. Abraham was not fleeing for his life, for he stayed around Chaldea for a while as a close reading of his words clearly points out. Abraham was following a command to get out of Babylon.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(a):
2(a): And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(a):
2(a): Abraham sought for the blessings of the fathers because he knew there was greater happiness, peace and rest in being righteous. The “rest” of the Lord is being in His presence (D&C 84:23-24).
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(b):
2(b): I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same;
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(b):
2(b): He also sought to be ordained to the blessings of the fathers, and administer the same to others. The blessings of the fathers is the blessing of entering into the Church of the Firstborn, which is the fulness of the gospel. Now, who will bring the righteous into the Church of the Firstborn? It will be the 144,000 high priests (D&C 77:11). So Abraham wanted to do what the 144,000 high priests will be eventually doing.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(c):
2(c): having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(c):
2(c): Not only was Abraham a follower of righteousness, but he wanted to be even a “greater” follower of righteousness through sanctification. Not only did He seek to possess great knowledge, as very few in this telestial world do, but he sought to possess even a “greater” and more personal knowledge of God, as does those who enter into the rest of the Lord, behold His face, and receive the fulness of the Father’s Glory.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(d):
2(d): and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(d):
2(d): Abraham sought to receive the same promise that Adam and Noah received, that of being the father of many nations. He also desired the title of “Prince of Peace,” which Melchizedek and Jesus the Christ received (Isa. 9:6; Alma 13:18; JST Gen. 14:33).
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(e):
2(e): and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(e):
2(e): Abraham sought to personally receive instruction from God and His messengers; that is, the further light and knowledge promised by the father. And he sought to obey all of God laws.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(f):
2(f): I became a rightful heir, a High Priest,
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(f):
2(f): Abraham became a rightful heir to all that the Father has (D&C 84:38-39), and a High Priest unto the Most High God.
ABRAHAM, Verse 2(g):
2(g): holding the right belonging to the fathers.
COMMENTARY, Verse 2(g):
2(g): Abraham received the right which belonged to the fathers, that of the right of the Church of the First Born, to enter into the rest of the Lord, and administer the ordinances thereof.
ABRAHAM, Verse 3(a):
3(a): It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time,
COMMENTARY, Verse 3(a):
3(a): Abraham realized where his line of Priesthood authority originated. It originated in the counsel in heaven (Abr. 3:22-24). He also new his Priesthood lineage back through the line of righteous men, back to Adam.
ABRAHAM, Verse 3(b):
3(b): even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
COMMENTARY, Verse 3(b):
3(b): Abraham received the right of the Firstborn. The First Born is a title; it is a godly title, and Abraham received the right to that title by way of his righteousness. He could, therefore, speak for the Father in the absence of the Father. For the serious and knowing student, this part of verse three has other doctrinal implication which is not the purpose of this study.
ABRAHAM, Verse 4:
4: I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.
COMMENTARY, Verse 4:
4: Abraham proved himself worthy of the right of the Firstborn and was personally appointed to that order of the Priesthood by God. He also received the promised blessing of the fathers concerning the continuation of seed, and he entered into that covenant and obeyed the law pertaining to that blessing.
Points of Review
Let’s now review some of the important points of that which we have just studied. As we do, we will be able to learn what the works — at least some of the works — of Abraham were; those works which placed him in a position to be filled with the vision of the Almighty, have the Lord appear to him and behold His face. The points under consideration are outlined as followed.
1. Abraham fled Babylon under command of he Lord, desiring not to partake of her sins.
2. He sought to inter into the rest of the Lord and partake of His fulness, which is seeing the face of the Lord, and inter into the presence of the Father.
3. He sought to do the work of the fathers before him, that is to bring the righteous to the Church of the First Born — to do the same work as the 144,000 High Priests will be doing shortly.
4. He not only desired great knowledge, but he sought to possess the greatest knowledge, that of a more personal and intimate knowing of God
5. He not only desired great righteousness by keeping a few commandments, but he also sought greater righteousness my way of faithfully keeping covenants, thereby becoming sanctified — that of being clean enough to enter into God’s rest and behold His face.
6. He sought to receive the same promises and blessings as did Adam and Noah, that of being the father of many nations.
7. He sought to be endowed with the title of “Prince of Peace,” as Melchizedek and Jesus the Christ received.
8. He sought further light and knowledge, not only from the Spirt and from angels, but from the Lord Himself.
9. He keep all the commandments of God.
10. He became a rightful heir to all that the Father has.
11. He became a High Priest unto the Most High God.
12. He received the right which belonged to the fathers, that of the right as a member of the Church of the First Born.
13. He administer the ordinances pertaining to the Church of the Firstborn, as the 144.000 will do.
14. He received the godly title of “Firstborn,” being personally appointed to that order of the Priesthood by God.
15. He enter into the rest of the Lord by entering into His presence.
16. He knew from where his Priesthood authority originated — in the counsel in heaven — and he also new his Priesthood lineage back to Adam.
17. And Abraham also received the blessing of the fathers concerning the continuation of seed, and entered into that covenant and obey that law.
In Closing
These are the works of Abraham. The works of Abraham are not that of only Celestial Plural Marriage, as some would suppose by their reading D&C 132. The verse in question in that section reads: “Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved.” (v. 32.) Celestial Plural Marriage is only one of the many laws of God, and it is only one of the works of Abraham. We are commanded to do the “works” of Abraham, not the “work” of Abraham. If we keep only one of the works, and not all of them, little is realized.
Some become lopsided in their enthusiasm to practice the principle of plural marriage without keeping the other laws. And not only are they most likely practicing plural marriage without doing the other works of Abraham, but they are also, as modern polygamist have generally demonstrated, practicing it inappropriately and without divine priesthood appointment.
The Pharisees claimed to be of Abraham, but Jesus said to them, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:39.) Jesus condemned the Pharisees as not being of Abraham because of their wickedness, saying that they “are of [their] father the devil.” The Savior was not speaking of plural wives at this time, he was referring to being righteous, as Abraham was righteous in all of his desires and works.
There is a another key to why Abraham received such blessings, and it is found in verse twelve of the second chapter of Abraham. Here Abraham said in his heart to the Lord, “Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee....” (Abr. 2:12.)
All that Abraham desired and sought after was done “earnestly.” He was earnest about what he was concerned about. Some synonyms for earnestly are: seriously, soberly, sincerely, determined, intent, eager, and resolute. Now, how serious and eager, determined and resolute is the reader in obtaining those same blessings?
